She says upon making calls to her Department’s senior officials to enquire about the plane landing, she learnt that Bruce Koloane, then Chief of State Protocol, was at the airport during the landing.

Nkoana-Mashabane says she took drastic steps in making sure that Koloane would face a disciplinary hearing, as it was not appropriate of him to have allowed the Gupta plane to land at the National Key Point.

Nkoana-Mashabane says, “He’s been owning up and not saying how he got to do this. He went to the disciplinary hearing, again he owned up, and when he got sanctions that I had presented in my affidavit and got to be the punishment he got.”

News24 reports despite former chief of state protocol Bruce Koloane admitting that he abused his diplomatic powers in order to facilitate the Gupta Waterkloof landing in 2013, Nkoana-Mashabane still wrote to former president Jacob Zuma, recommending him as South African ambassador to the Netherlands. She testified she did not state in the nomination letter to Zuma that he had played a significant role in the Waterkloof landing debacle. 

However, she said she had informed Zuma about Koloane’s involvement in the landing via discussions.

Nkoana-Mashabane is now the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.  

The Gupta family landed a commercial aircraft at the air force base without permission. It carried about 200 guests who were invited to attend the family's lavish wedding at Sun City.

Not only did Koloane admit to abusing the powers of his office, he also admitted to using Zuma's name, as well as the names of two other ministers, to pressure officials to expedite the processing of the flight clearance request.

Defending her decision to nominate Koloane, the minister said: "How do I keep the person coming to work and doing nothing, and [has] experience?"

She said Koloane was not the only nominee, adding that there were 17 others.

Nkoana-Mashabane also said Koloane had already faced his punishment by going through a disciplinary hearing, and then a suspension for two months without pay.  

She also told inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that Zuma had the powers not to appoint Koloane.  

SABC News